# University of Aleppo

University of Aleppo (Arabic: جَامِعَة حَلَب, romanized: Jāmiʿat Ḥalab, also called Aleppo University) is a public university located in Aleppo, Syria. It is the second largest university in Syria after the University of Damascus.
During 2005–06, the university had over 61,000 undergraduate students, over 1,500 post graduate students and approximately 2,400 faculty members. The university has 25 faculties and 10 intermediate colleges.

## History

What was to become the University of Aleppo consisted of a Faculty of Engineering in Aleppo opened in 1946 and affiliated to what is now the University of Damascus (Syrian University at that time). After the end of French rule in 1946, the newly independent Syria only had one university.
In 1958, the Syrian government passed a law that created the University of Aleppo as the second university in the country. When the new university opened its doors in 1960, it consisted of two faculties (Civil Engineering and Agriculture). The university grew rapidly in the subsequent decades, formed respected programmes in engineering, sciences, and literature, as well as a strong emphasis on languages, offering courses on German, Russian, French, and English.
The university is member of the European Permanent University Forum (EPUF), the Mediterranean Universities Union (UNIMED) and the Regional Corporation Confremo. During 2008, the University of Aleppo marked its golden jubilee.
On 15 January 2013, 82 people were killed during the Aleppo University bombings. The blasts reportedly struck an area between Aleppo University's halls of residence and the architecture faculty. The initial death toll was 52, but Aleppo's governor later revised the number.
On 29 November 2024, a shelling attack in the student dormitories killed four people, including two students.
On 27 December 2024, Idleb University was officially separated from University Of Aleppo, and Idlib Section of UOA was subsequently abolished.

## Structure
### Faculties

Aleppo University consists of 19 faculties with 135 departments (8 other faculties were part of Idlib Section of UOA that discontinued during war, and later became independent Idlib University)
* Engineering Faculties
** Faculty Of Civil Engineering founded in 1946 as a faculty affiliated with the Syrian University in Damascus. Later in 1958, it became the first faculty of the newly established University of Aleppo:
*** Geotechnical engineering
*** Engineering management and Construction
*** Basic sciences (Civil Engineering)
*** Structural engineering
*** Environmental engineering
*** Communication and Transportation engineering
*** Water engineering (Hydraulic Engineering)
*** Topographic engineering
** Faculty Of Agricultural Engineering founded in 1960:
*** Plant protection
*** Field Crops
*** Basic sciences (Agricultural Engineering)
*** Horticulture
*** Soil science and Land reclamation
*** Renewable natural resources and Environment
*** Rural engineering
*** Food science
*** Animal production
*** Agricultural economics
** Faculty Of Architecture Engineering founded in 1983:
*** Architectural design
*** Urban Planning and Environment
*** Construction and Execution Sciences
*** Theories and History of Architecture
** Faculty Of Electrical and Electronic Engineering founded in 1982:.
*** Electronic engineering
*** Communications engineering
*** Computers engineering
*** Control and Automation Engineering
*** Electrical Power Systems Engineering
*** Mechatronics Engineering
*** Electrical Drives Engineering
*** Basic Science (Electronical and Electronic Engineering)
** Faculty Of Mechanical Engineering founded in 1983:
*** Mechanical spinning and Textile
*** Power Engineering
*** Agricultural machinery Engineering
*** Basic sciences (Mechanical Engineering)
*** Engineering Materials Sciences
*** Nuclear Engineering
*** Production engineering
*** Aeronautics engineering
*** Industrial engineering
** Faculty Of Informatics Engineering founded in 2000:
*** Artificial Intelligence and Natural Languages
*** Software Engineering and Information Systems
*** Systems and Computer Networks
*** Basic sciences (Informatics Engineering)
** Faculty Of Technical Engineering founded in 2002:
*** Environmental Engineering Technologies
*** Food Engineering Technology
*** Biotechnology Engineering
* Medical Faculties
** Faculty Of Medicine founded in 1967:
*** Surgery
*** Pediatrics
*** Internal Medicine
*** Oncology
*** Obstetrics and Gynecology
*** Radiology (Diagnostic Radiotherapy and Physiotherapy)
*** Dermatology
*** Descriptive Anatomy
*** Forensic
*** Clinical Laboratory
*** Ophthalmology
*** Pathology
*** Physiology and Medicines
*** Anesthesia and Resuscitation
*** Head and Neck Diseases (Otorhinolaryngology and Opthalmology)
*** Patient Anatomy
*** Public Health (Environment Hygiene and Occupational Diseases)
*** Cell, Fetal and Tissue Sciences
*** Microbiology (Bacteriology, Parasitology, Virology, Mycology and Immunology)
** Faculty Of Dentistry founded in 1979:
*** Oral Medicine
*** Pediatric dentistry
*** Periodontal Tissues
*** Histopathology and Anatomy
*** Fixed Prosthodontics
*** Removable Prosthodontics
*** Orthodontics and Maxillo-Facial
*** Maxillo-Oral surgery
*** Basic Sciences (Dentistry)
*** Restorative Dentistry
** Faculty Of Pharmacy founded in 1991:
*** Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology
*** Pharmacognosy
*** Biochemistry and Microbiology
*** Pharmacology and Toxicology
*** Analytical and Food Chemistry
*** Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Drug Quality Control
** Faculty Of Nursing founded in 2007:
*** Adult Nursing
*** Critical Conditions and Emergency
*** Nursing Maternity and Women's Health
*** Pediatric nursing
*** Psychiatric and Mental Health
*** Community Health Nursing
*** Nursing management
*** Basic Medical Sciences
* Scientific Faculties
** Faculty Of Sciences founded in 1966:
*** Chemistry
*** Mathematical Statistics
*** Geology
*** Zoology
*** Mathematics
*** Botany
*** Physics
** Faculty Of Economics founded in 1966: The faculty of Economic
**** Accounting
**** Finance Sciences and Banking
**** Economics and International economic Relations
**** Business Administration
**** Statistics and Information Systems
**** Marketing
** Faculty Of Applied Fine Arts founded in 2006:
*** Visual communication
*** Drilling (Graphic)
*** Painting and Imaging
*** Interior architecture
*** Sculpture
*** Fabric and fashion design
** Faculty Of Applied Sciences
*** Electronic Technologies
*** Heating, Conditioning and Refrigeration
* Literature Faculties
** Faculty Of Law founded in 1960
*** International law
*** Private law
*** Public law
*** Commercial law
*** Criminal law
* Faculty Of Arts and Humanities founded in 1966:
** Archeology
** History
** Geography
** English Language and Literature
** Turkish Language and Literature
** Arabic Language and Literature
** Persian Language and Literature
** French Language and Literature
** Social Studies
* Faculty Of Education founded in 1997:
** Psychological Counselling
** Curriculum and Teaching methods
** Child Education
* Faculty Of Sharia founded in 2006:
** Islamic Fiqh (jurisprudence) and its origions
** Beliefs and Religions
** Islamic Economics
** Quran and Hadith Sciences
** Personal Status
** Fundamentals of Alfiqh and the purposes of Sharia (Law)
** Hadith and Its Sciences

### Higher institutes

Two higher institutes based in Aleppo are operating in the university:
* Higher Institute of the History of Arabic Science founded in 1976:
** History of Applied sciences
** History of Medical sciences
** History of Basic sciences
* Higher Institute of Languages founded in 2003.

### Intermediate technical institutes

The university has 8 intermediate technical institutes (4 other were part of UOA Idlib Sector). Studying period is for two years:
* Medical Institutes
** Medicine
** Dentistry
* Applied Technology Institutes
** Agricultural
** Banking and Financeial sciences
** Marketing and Business Administration
* Engineering Institutes
* Computer
* Mechanical and Electrical Engineering
* Engineering

### Open Studies

The Open Studies Centre was inaugurated in 2001. The centre offers degrees of 7 majors in four different faculties:
* Practical Legal studies (Faculty of Law)
* Class Teacher (Faculty of Education)
* Educational Qualification Diploma (Faculty of Education)
* Translation Program – French Dept. (Faculty of Arts and Humanities)
* Translation Program – English Dept. (Faculty of Arts and Humanities)
* Banking and Financial Studies (Faculty of Economics)
* Small and Medium Enterprise in Management and Accounting (Faculty of Economics)
* Accounting (Faculty of Economics)

### Hospitals

The university runs six hospitals in the city of Aleppo:
* Aleppo University Hospital (AUH)
* Aleppo University Cardiovascular Surgical Centre
* OB/GYN Hospital
* Oral and Maxillofacial Surgical Centre (Inside Faculty Of Dentistry)
* Nursing School Hospital (Affiliated with Faculty of Medicine)
* Al-Kindi Hospital (currently not operating)

### Other structures

The university is home to one of the biggest libraries (Central Library of the University) in Syria with more than 1.5 million units. In addition, there are 17 academic centres, a publishing and printing house, and 20 units in the campus, designated to host more than 12 thousand students.
The university publishes its scientific journal periodically which is called Aleppo University Researches.
On 7 February 2010, the university announced the opening of its Radio & TV Centre, which is the first of its type among Syrian universities and the third in the Middle East.
* Center of Renewable Energy Research
* Center Of Quality Assurance
* Innovation and Technology Transfer Center
* Francophone Numeric University Center
* Center of Strategic Studies and Research
* Center of Skills and career Guidance
* Computer Center
* Center Of Biotechnology
* Japan Center for Academic Cooperation
* Faculty of Agricultural Research Centre
* Center for Demographic Studies

## Presidents

* Dr. Tawfik Al-Munajed (1960–68)
* Dr. Mustafa Ezzat Al-Nassar (1968–69)
* Dr. Shaker Fahham (1969-73)
* Dr. Ahmad Y. al-Hassan (1973–79)
* Dr. Mohammad Ali Hourieh (1979–2000)
* Dr. Mohammad Saeed Farhoud (2001–04)
* Dr. Mohammad Nizar Akil (2004–10)
* Dr. Nidal Shehadeh (2010-2012)
* Dr. Abed Yakan (2012)
* Dr. Kheder Ourfali (2012)
* Dr. Mahmoud Dahhan (2013–14)
* Dr. Mustafa Afiouni (2015–2020)
* Dr. Maher Karman (2020-present)

## Notable alumni

* Wajih Azaizeh, Jordanian politician
* Mohammad Nidal al-Shaar, Syrian politician and economist
* Muhammad bin Jamil Zeno, Islamic scholar
* Zuhair Masharqa, Syrian politician
* Sufian Allaw, Syrian politician
* Ibtisam Ibrahim Teresa, award-winning Syrian novelist
* Khaled Khalifa, award-winning Syrian novelist
* Abdulrazak Eid, Syrian writer and thinker
* Muhammed Abu Maatouk, Syrian playwright
* Darin Ahmad, Syrian artist, poet and writer
* Fathallah Omar, writer
* Muhamad Aly Rifai, Syrian American internist and psychiatrist
* Mazloum Abdi, Syrian Kurdish PKK and SDF commander
* Waad Al-Kateab Academy Award nominated film director of For Sama (2019)
* Kenan Yaghi, former Finance Minister of Syria
* Mohammad al-Bashir, current Prime Minister of Syria